


Misunderstandings

by Bazylia_de_Grean



Series: What Does the Flame Reveal [2]
Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 02:28:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21760111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bazylia_de_Grean/pseuds/Bazylia_de_Grean
Summary: Sometimes, he still thinks of Yarrow.
Relationships: OC/OC (one-sided)
Series: What Does the Flame Reveal [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1566049
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5
Collections: TTRPG Godsquad





	Misunderstandings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LunaRowena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaRowena/gifts).



Sometimes, he still thinks of Yarrow. Her smile, her focused face. Even her scowl. He hopes she’s smiling more, in that temple, than she used to at home, in her father’s forge. It took him a while to realize that she had never been truly happy there.

Aelfryc is glad he could see her again. That he had a chance to tell her. He tried his best, but he’s sure he didn’t manage to tell her everything he wanted, and even less of what she might have wanted to hear. She probably misunderstood, anyway. He’s never been good with words.

To think of it, she might have misunderstood what the ring meant, too. Aelfryc hopes that she will guess somehow, despite his clumsy explanation – or lack of it. It’s not that he didn’t want to marry her, back then. True, she intimidated him a little, and mostly he was just amazed that he could call a girl like her as his future wife, and the thought of having a bunch of little Yarrows running around the house at some point was scary, but… He had been in love with her. A part of him still is.

But Yarrow never needed any of that, not when she had Magran’s blessing. It took him a while to figure out that his infatuation – feelings – were meaningless because he couldn’t understand. She didn’t want love—just respect, for her choices.

She’d taught him a lot about choices, by leaving. That is what he was trying to thank her for. Making him understand that she hadn’t closed the door to their future but had opened it wider. Making him question and seek his place in the world instead of just accepting whatever cards fate dealt him. Looking for – and finding – a calling. Not necessarily higher – simply different. Learning to be at peace with himself.

He’s never been good with words; only with his craft. So he’d tried to pour all those thoughts into a ring – good thing he picked Durgan steel to bear such a heavy burden. He’d worked and prayed, to Abydon and Magran. Not to get Yarrow to return to him – only so that the gods would lead her forward.

Sometimes, he still dreams of her. Fair hair, gleaming in the morning sun, and her furrowed brow. Back then, he'd been too foolish to love her. Sometimes, Aelfryc wonders if now he does.


End file.
